Judging Leaders ~ by whom I mean John Piper

I have genuinely been trying to avoid car-crash-Christianity on blogs – by which I mean posts about the likes of John Piper and Mark Driscoll. They fascinate me and, sadly, entertain me, but they do equally little for either my blood pressure or my faith.

But today I decided to have a glimpse at what John Stackhouse had to say about the latest in the John Piper “masculine Christianity” brouhaha. I had already read about it over on Jesus Creed and was willing to consign it to the “what else is new?” file.

Instead, thanks to the video below, buried in the post’s comments, I found myself welling up in fury over the words of a man who is widely respected in some Christian circles- and whose influence extends into my own church here in England as well as Vancouver churches that might be attended by my adult children and their friends.

I knew my morning wasn’t going to go well when I heard the words, “It depends on what kind of abuse.” Apparently we need to differentiate between abuse that would cause the woman to sin (ie engaging in group sex) and abuse that “simply hurts her”.

Listen for yourself, blood pressure allowing.

John Stackhouse suggests that we “keep hearing John Piper on the good things he has to say. And let’s just set aside those things he says…that really aren’t so good.”

I would suggest -at the insistence of my husband- irony not lost – that we completely and utterly reject John Piper as a church leader until he repents of this attitude and comes to understand that to “endure being smacked for a night” might just lead to the death of a vulnerable woman or at very least affect her children for a lifetime.

I have searched the internet for evidence of that repentance but can’t find anything. If you know of such a wonderful occurrence, please let me know and I will repent in turn. Until then, I will question anyone who excuses John Piper on the basis that he also says a lot of good things.

And just a quick heads up to any man who might think JP has a valid point: the first word from a woman being asked against her will to engage in group sex is not going to be a wistful “Honey”.

2 responses to “Judging Leaders ~ by whom I mean John Piper”

Thanks for the nudge on my blog to respond to this clip. I have now done so. And thanks also for your own blog post here, and especially the brilliant last paragraph–hilariously dark and right on the money.